I have a cockatiel.  He was clipped when we bought him.  His feathers have grown out.  He can fly short distances.  This morning, he cannot fly and several large feathers are in his cage.  Should I be concerned or is this normal?
 
 
LeAnn

Hello LeAnn,
 
With out knowing how old your bird is, and without seeing your bird directly, my guess is that your bird is molting. Over time, your bird drops its feathers as a new feather grows in to replace it. It is a stressful time and you should add supplements to your bird’s diet. If your bird eats fresh fruits and veggies, you can order some Nekton Bio from www.windycityparrot.com
and sprinkle it lightly on its fresh food. You also need to be more aware of new feather growth. If your bird injures a new feather, you may experience some bleeding so easy on the handling while your bird is in molt.
 
You need to do some serious sole searching regarding allowing your bird to be free flighted. I know that clipping your birds wings may seem unfair or not right, but it is actually for your birds safety. If your bird was to be fully flighted and got outside via a door or window, odds are that you would have a difficult time recovering your bird. Thousands of keets and tiels are lost this way every year. Some wind up in neighbors yards, starved for food and water, some become dinner for any of the birds of prey in our area.
 
Regards,
 
Scott Robins
Scott Robins Edutainment, Inc.